1. Read in Front of Your Kids
You can’t just tell them to read for 20 minutes a day while you’re on your phone. Have books of your own laying around the house. When you take your kids to the library, get something for yourself or at least be reading something there. When your child sees you reading, it normalizes the action. Best to start young - like at the park when sitting on a bench, you can have a book instead of your phone. It’s not just you telling them what to do. It’s something you are doing as well. It’s easy to turn on the TV or watch sports or screen out on a million different things, but if you want books to be part of your kids life, it should be part of your life too. No?
Turning Your Reluctant Readers into Book Lovers
2. Read What Your Kids are reading
Read what they are reading, independently. What I noticed is, after I started doing this, my daughter would then go back and read that same book again. Don’t look for the vocalization of thanks - they’re not going to do that. BUT, around the table, dropping them off at school, or on a car ride, you can talk to them about the book. Let them know what you thought. Who your favorite characters were. Ask them to explain something you might not have understood. This brings reading into the conversation even when the book isn’t around. It gives the book a life of its own and a deeper place in your child’s life. You might even find that you’re getting more than one word answers (Fine. Good. Great. OK) when the convos turn to the stories in the books they’re reading and not pressing on their lives.
3. Keep up with new releases
It’s important to stay current and not try to force the books of your childhood on your kids. A simple Google of “New graphic novels for 9 year-old girls” or “Books for 7-year olds who love sports” will give you a good look at recent releases. Head on over to your library or go on their site, see what’s there, and order them up for your kids. Grab them and have a big stack of reads waiting for them when they come home. Don’t make a big deal of it - just have them on the floor in the living room and let them discover. Soon you’ll see a pattern of what they are feeling and you’ll be able to grab more in that genre. The library is the ultimate testing ground for new books. Once you know they like ‘em, then you can give it a forever home by buying it.
4. Meet Authors
You can follow your kid’s favorite authors on social (we don’t allow social media for our daughter before high school, so we follow them) and see where they are appearing. Most kids authors are always doing events, festivals, signings, anything and everything to get out there because they and their publishing companies want them meeting kids. We always have such an amazing experience when our daughter meets one of her favorite authors. Even if it’s like an hour or so away, you can make a day of it - do a road trip and have the author event as the destination. Have lunch after and let them read the book they just got signed. It will make them love reading even more and expand the world of books beyond something they have to do. You’ve just made it special.
6. Bookstores
Now, we love libraries. I’m there twice a week and try to get my daughter there at least once a week, but those are mostly testing ground for reads. When you find something, especially a series, it’s good to go to the bookstore and, after they find something they’re down for, buy it there. I know it’s easier to order online, but the experience of going to the bookstore is super valuable. The book becomes something they chose and can take home with them, staying with them for years and years to be returned to over and over again in times of joy or a need for comfort. They become friends and very important ones at that.
5. Ask other kids what they’re reading
When you’re visiting someone with kids, meet a friend with a kid, or have kids in your car, try to resist the urge to ask them “How’s school going?” How was school going for you when you were a kid? Ask them what book they’re reading. Usually a kid is reading something, and by doing so, your kid will see that you’re interested in books (this whole thing hinges on the fact that you are actually interested in books). This gives you great insights into what kids around your child are reading, so you can hook that up at the library and test it out before you go to the….
🔥Quick Wins🔥
👩🏽⚖️ Don’t Judge
The books they love might not be the books you love, but don’t hate on their choices. As long as they’re reading, they’re developing that habit of loving to read.
📚Graphic Novels are Books
Please don’t deny them the joy of reading because it’s a graphic novel and don’t push them to read chapter books. They will get there.
🤣 Book Bribes
That being said, I do sometimes tell my daughter that if she finishes a chapter book, I have a surprise graphic novel for her. Results vary, but it’s been working and really, in the end, they’re just reading more.
🎁 Gifts
When you’re giving gifts to other kids during the holidays or B-day parties, take your child to the bookstore and have them pick out books for their friends. Likely they will ask for one as well, but that’s ok. Never a bad investment.
🏴☠️ Treasure Hunts
When a new book is released, I sometimes do treasure hunts around the house with clues she has to figure out, all leading to a book hidden somewhere. The book is the treasure.
Explore all of the books that developed a love of reading for our daughter over the years.
